Folding chest or box.



No. 678,204. Patented July 9, IBM.

A. SILBIGER. I

FOLDING CHEST 0H BOX. 7

(Application filed May 15, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPHU S SILBIGER, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUN GARY.

FOLDING CHEST OR BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 678,204, dated July 9,1901.

Application filed May 15, 1899.

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, ADOLPHUS SILBIGER, a subject of theEmperor ofAustria-Hungary, residing at Vienna, in the Province of Lower Austria,in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Folding Chests or Boxes; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention has relation to packingboxes; and it has for its objectcertain improvements in the means for securing the lid or the lid andbottom to the box; and it has for its further object the provision ofmeans for sealing the box after the lid is closed and fastened; but thatmy invention may be fully understood I will describe the same in detail,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of a co1lap sible box embodying my improvements. Fig.

'2 is a similar fragmentary view illustrating additional fasteningdevices for the lid or lid and bottom of the box. Fig. 3 is an elevationof the collapsed box, and Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional detail views ofone of the fastening devices and a slight modification thereof.

Although I have illustrated my invention in its application tocollapsible or foldable boxes, I would have it understood that I do notlimit myself to its application to this type of boxes, as it is equallyapplicable to boxes having the vertical walls rigidly connectedtogether.

Referring to the drawings, 6 and e indicate the end walls, 5 and s theside walls, I the lid or cover, and b the bottom of the box.

The vertical walls of the box are so hinged together by means of hingesh that when the lid and bottom are removed the end wall 6 and side wall3 will fold out flat, while the side wall 3 and end wall 6 will fold ina similar manner onto said end wall e and side Wall 3, as shown in Fig.3, on which the lid Z and Serial N0. 716,879. (No model.)

bottom I) may then be placed and the small package thus formed tied forstorage or ship ment to the sender.

I do not desire to lay claim to the mode of hinging the vertical wallstogether, as this is well known.

The lid Z andbottom b are or may be of such dimensions as to fitaccurately into the vertical walls when erected, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, oronto said walls, Fig. 5, as may be preferred, and said lid and bottomhave each secured thereto two transverse cleats l and 1), respectively,which when the lid and bottom fit into shown in Figs. 1 and 4:. To oneof the faces of said cleats, preferably to the proximate faces, issecured the vertical member of a metal angle-plate p, the horizontalmember of which is secured to the lid or to the bottom, as the casemaybe. The vertical members of these angle-plates 19 have near theirouter ends two holes 10 in register with corresponding holes in theircleats, and the horizontal members of said plates 10 have at each end ahole p in register with a hole in the vertical walls of the box or withthe threaded bore of a nut n. This nut 71. may be secured to or formedon a supporting-plate n, so that when said plate is secu red in positionthe nut will be some distance from the upper face of the side walls 8 sof the box, the nut being seated in a suitable recess and thesupporting-plate n countersunk flush with and secured to the inner faceof said side wall, with the bore of the nut in register with a boltholeformed in the side walls, as shown in Fig. 4. The nut '17. may, however,be so located on its supporting-plate n as to be flush with the upperface of the side walls, with its bore in register with the hole p in theangleplates 19 or with said hole and one, Z extending through the lid Z,as shown in Fig. 5, according as the lid or lid and bottom fit into oronto the vertical walls of the box.

The lid and bottom of the box are secured to the vertical walls by meansof screw-bolts c, provided,preferably,with a polygonal'head 0, having ahole a therethrough for a cord or wire w, the ends of which a're'thenpassed through the two holes 19 in the vertical member of theangle-plates p and through the corresponding holes in the cleat Z whenthe lid Z or lid and bottom I) is or are fastened to the vertical wallsof the box, the ends of said cord or wire being finally sealed together.This mode of sealing the box is a very efficient one in that thescrew-bolts cannot be removed without cutting the sealing cord or wire,as will be readily understood. Additional means may be provided forsecuring the lid and bottom to the box, particularly for large boxescontaining heavy goods. This may be readily done by extendingthe cleatssufficiently beyond the outer vertical faces of the side walls to lap orproject over vertical cleats (1-, having a passage for a headed tierod0", screw-threaded,preferably,at its lower end for a tightening-nut a,said passage registering with a hole in the transverse cleats Z Z) onthe lid Z and bottom I) of the box, the

head 1' of and tightening-nut n on said rod 0 1 walls hinged together tofold as described, and bolt-nuts secured in opposite wallsnea-r theupper and lower edges thereof; a lid and .bottom fitting into saidvertical walls, cleats 3 on said lid and bottom, metal an gle-platessebeing countersunk in the upper and under faces, respectively, of saidcleats, as shown in Fig. 2.

The advantages of the described construction of box and mode offastening the lid or lid and bottom thereto may be briefly stated asfollows: The fasteningbolts being located by the side of the cleats onthe lid are protected thereby against injury by external agencies, andas the seal cord or wire passes through the angle-plates and cleats itis also protected against injury by such agencies. "When the box isconstructed to fold as described, the lid and bottom must be detachablyconnected with the vertical walls, if the latter are to fold flat ontoeach other, as described, to form a small package when folded, and theappliances for securing and sealing the bottom to the box are alsoprotected against injury.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to hinge the vertical walls of abox so that one end wall and one side wall will fold out fiat and theopposite end and side walls will fold out fiat onto the first ones, asdescribed; but in these boxes the lid and bottom have been secured tothe upper and lower faces of said vertical walls, requiring angle-piecesprojecting above said faces to prevent displacement of said lid andbottom,which are avoided by fitting said lid and bottom into theVertical walls and providing means for connecting them together.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with opposite vertical walls of a box havingbolt-nuts secured therein at suitable points; of a lid having cleatssecured thereto, metal angle-plates secured respectively to said cleatsand lid and having bolt-holes in register with the threaded bore of thenuts in opposite walls of the box, and holes 19 through the verticalmembers of metal angle-plates secured thereto and to their respectivecleats, the latter and angle-plates extending over opposite verticalwalls, the

horizontal member of said an gle-plates provided with a hole at each endin register with one in the opposite vertical walls and with thethreaded bore of the nuts therein, and

fastening-bolts cooperating with the nuts to fasten the lid and bottomto said vertical walls, substantially as set forth.

3. In a collapsible box having its vertical cured thereto and to theirrespective cleats,

the latter and an gle-plates extending over opposite vertical walls, thehorizontal member of said angle-plates provided with a bolt-hole at eachend in register with one in the opposite vertical walls and with thethreaded bore of the nuts therein, and with two holes in the verticalmember in register with corresponding transverse holes in the cleatsproximate to the aforesaid bolt-holes in the horizontal member, andfastening-bolts provided with tom and to their cleats Z, said plateslapping over the side walls and having a hole in register with one insaid side walls and the thread ed bore of the aforesaid nut,substantially as set forth.

5. In a foldable box, the combination with end and side walls, thelatter provided with external vertical cleats cl having athroughpassage, and with internal recesses, a covering-plate for thelatter flush with the inner face of said recesses and carrying a nut; ofthe lid and bottom having transverse cleats Z in line with and lappingover the aforesaid vertical cleats and having holes in register with thepassages in cleats d, locking-bolts passing through said cleats andcarrying suitable tightening-nuts, and angle-plates secured to the lidand bottom, and their cleats 678,204 a a a ,l, said plates lapping overthe side Walls and my invention I have signed my' name in pres having ahole in register with onein said side enoe of two subscribing witnesses.Walls in line with the threaded bore of the aforesaid nut, and lookingbolts passing a D SHBIGER' 5 through said holes and screwing into thesaid Witnesses:

nuts, substantially as described. JOSEF RU'BAROK,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as ALVESTO S. HOGUE.

